Week 15 Prompt

There are many great and free ways to advertise and market a fiction collection. 

1.  Showcase the new releases.  At my branch, we have new fiction and non-fiction shelved right by the front door so that it is impossible to miss.  We typically keep new books out for a range of 4 to 6 months depending on space.  This is a one stop shop for patrons to browse new titles and authors.  All new books are marked as such using red dot labels on the spine making it easy for circulation staff to spot them and shelve them on the correct shelves.

2.  Book displays are a fantastic way to market fiction titles.  Every month we change our display to showcase different titles and authors.  One month we had a "from the bottom shelf" fiction display of books that are rarely checked out because they are shelved on the bottom row and are hard to read unless you bend down.  In February of last year we had a display titled "Blind Date with a Book".  Employees choose titles that they enjoyed, placed them in manilla envelopes, and typed a blurb on the front giving an abstract of the book but not a title or author.  This was extremely popular because so many people like to take risks.  Right now we have a display up showcasing books that have been made into movies.  We have the book and the movie shelved together on the display.  It really doesn't matter what the display is, people are drawn to them no matter what.

3.  Book clubs are also a great way to get fiction to circulate.  At my branch, we have a popular fiction book club for adults and book club for less none titles.  Both have a decent turnout and the books do circulate.

We always have read-a-like bookmarks available on a cart for patrons and these have proved helpful in patrons finding new authors and titles to read.

Week 14

First off, I would like to point out that not everyone has control or even a say about what is ordered for their library/branch.  At the Allen County Public Library (where I am employed part time) the acquisitions department is in charge of all ordering.  My branch will sometimes receive 15 copies of a popular fiction title and sometimes only 3.  I am not sure how the ordering is done but I do know that we can request certain things.  With that being said, it would not be prudent for a branch at ACPL to separate African American and GLBTQ genres from the general collection as we have no control over how much we will receive.  I think it would seem rude and demeaning to have one or two shelves with these separate genres on them.  Keeping all genres together in the general collection is the only fair way to do it.  Also, space is a huge concern for most of the ACPL branches and again it just would not be prudent to separate different genres.

If you do start separating genres, where do you stop?  What about religious fiction or the Amish romance novels?  I do believe everything should be shevled together but I also believe that we should showcase these genres and authors.  It never fails that books on displays get checked out.  You can move books that have not circulated for over a year onto a book display and I guarantee they will be checked out.   

So I conclude, showcase NOT separate!!

YA Annotation

 

Divergent

by:  Veronica Roth

Published by Harper Collins

487 Pages

9780062024022

Genre:  YA, Science Fiction, Dystopian Fiction 

Storyline:  Intricately Plotted, World-Building

Tone:  Bleak, Suspenseful

Style:  Compelling

Summary:  In a future Chicago, sixteen-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.

Science Fiction Characteristics:  

• Futuristic Setting/Storyline 
• The setting is not based in reality
• World-Building 
• Series Based (Divergent is book 1 in the series; book 2 is Insurgent and book 3 is Allegiant

Read-A-Likes (from Novelist)

1. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
2. Matched by Allyson Condie
3. Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien
4. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
5. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld 

Prompt 12

 

Titanic: Voices from the Disaster

By: Deborah Hopkinson

1.  Where is the book on the narrative continuum?  A mix - combines highly narrative with some periods of fact based prose.

2.  What is the subject of the book?  Story of the Titanic from beginning to end told by the surviving passengers.  

  

3.  What type of book is it?  Reads like a biography of the survivors and witnesses

4.  Articulate appeal

• What is the pacing of the book?  This book is a quick and easy read.
• Describe the characters of the book?  This book contains many accounts from survivors and witnesses.  There is nine year old Frankie Goldsmith, Violet Jessop who is a young stewardess, well to do Colonel Archibold Gracie, William Murdoch a brave seaman, Charlotte Collyer a young mother on her way to start a new life, and many, many others.
• How does the story feel?  The story reads mostly like fiction with historical facts mixed-in.  Although the sinking is sad, this book is interesting from beginning to end. 
• What is the intent of the author?  To re-tell the story of the Titanic from a narrative perspective using recollections from survivors and witnesses of the sinking.
• What is the focus of the story?  The sinking of the Titanic
• Does the language matter?  Yes, language is used to help readers experience the emotions of the passengers and witnesses.
• Is the setting important and well described?  Yes - I felt like I was there with the passengers and crew members on the ship.
• Are there details and, if so, of what?  Lots of details: from the details about the ship to the details of the rescue.
• Are there sufficient charts and other graphic materials?  Are they useful and clear?  Yes - there were many pictures throughout this book and even a diagram of the Titanic.
• Does the book stress moments of learning, understanding, or experience?  Definitely experience.  As you are reading, you are experiencing the same events that these survivors and witnesses went through.

5.  Why would a reader enjoy this book (rank appeal)?

1. Detail - the author uses so much detail that the reader is fully engaged in the story and it almost feels like you are there in 1912 with the passengers and crew.
2. Characterization - we get to know these survivors and witnesses through the authors use of characterization.
3. Writing Style - This is a fast and easy read

 

Fantasy Annotation

 

Dead Witch Walking

by

Kim Harrison

353 pages (2008)

9780061567193

Summary:   The underground population of witches, vampires, werewolves--creatures of dreams and nightmares--has lived beside humans for centuries, hiding their powers. But after a genetically engineered virus wipes out a large part of humanity, many of the "Inderlanders" reveal themselves, changing everything. Rachel Morgan, witch and bounty hunter with the Inderland Runner Services, is one of the best at apprehending supernatural lawbreakers throughout Cincinnati, but when it comes to following the rules, she falls desperately short. Determined to buck the system, she quits and takes off on the run with an I.S. contract on her head and is reluctantly forced to team up with Ivy, Inderland's best runner . . . and a living vampire. But this witch is way out of her league, and to clear her name, Rachel must evade shape-changing assassins, outwit a powerful businessman/crime lord, and survive a vicious underground fight-to-the-death . . . not to mention her own roommate.

Genre:  Fantasy Fiction, Urban Fantasy Fiction

Pace:  Fast-paced

Style:  Richly detailed

Series:  The Hollows (Book 1)

Fantasy Characteristics:

• World-building - can range from a slight tweak on our world to a completely different universe.  This book takes place in the US but not a US as we know it.  All kinds of paranormal creatures have come out of hiding as humans die out from a virus found in tomatos.
• Fantasy means magic - this is what clearly alienates it from other genres.  Rachel Morgan is a witch and practices magic on a daily basis.
• Storyline - good verses evil with good usually winning.  Rachel and her friends are trying to save the world from bad vampires and demons.
• Series will often be one long story rather than each book being episodic.  The Hollows series is on its 16th book and it does read as one very long continuing story. 

Read-A-Likes (from Novelist)

• A Discovery of Witches   by Deborah Harkness
• Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs
• Storm Born by Richelle Mead
• Burning Water by Mercedes Lackey
• Bitten by Kelly Armstrong
• Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur

Week 11 Prompt

When it comes to ereaders , I can honestly say that I do not want one.  I like to physically hold a book in my hands when I am reading it.  Call me crazy, but I even love the smell of books!!  I have enough technology in my life and too much "screen time" as it is!!  I am also not ashamed of what I read.  Yes, I jumped on the Fifty Shades of Grey bandwagon and even checked that out from the library that I work.  No shame here!!

Having said that, I do see the appeal or ebooks.  Ereaders allow you to physically have with you hundreds of books at all times.  Obviously that is not possible with physical books.  I can not carry more than 15 or so hardcover books at a time and they do take up a lot of space.  So yes, an ereader can be handy, especially if you are traveling.  Ebooks are also cheaper than the physical counter parts so that can be a huge draw.  I do understand that some people will want to be secretive about what they are reading.  I know a young lady who is in the process of divorcing her abusive husband.  In a situation like hers, you would not want to have a physical book about divorce or custody laying around. 

I was surprised to read in out Power Point this week that Ebook sales have increased by 117%.  It is shocking because at my branch our circulation is on the rise.  However, we do receive questions on a daily basis about how to use library services on ereaders.  I borrowed a Kindle Fire from my branch to take home and play with so that I would understand what patrons were asking.  Unfortunately, I became so frustrated that I wanted to throw the darn thing across the room.  I will definitely need to become more comfortable with it so that I can assist the patrons with theirs!!

Ebooks can be more convenient but patrons do not seem to understand that there still may be a waiting list for a popular book.  They assume that if the book is an Ebook, that it is readily available.  Other than that, I have not heard any complaints about Ebooks at my branch.

I personally have never listened to ab audiobook but know from working in circulation that they are extremely popular.  The problem with audiobooks is that there are so many CDs to keep track of and there is the possibility that the CDs will become scratched.  We have had quite a few complaints about scratched discs in the middle of the book.  That would be frustrating!! 

My 3 Book Talks

First off, I would like to apologize for the "shaky" video recordings.  My 12 year old son was recording these for me using my cell phone.

This week I thought that doing three book talks would be easy.  Boy was I wrong.  I chose three books that I have read within the last year that I found enjoyable.  However, I found that it was hard to decide what to say for these books and felt that my "talks" sounded to scripted.  I had a hard time finding enough to say that would intrigue a patron to want to read it without giving away too much of the plot.  I was actually looking forward to this assignment but found that it was way harder and a lot more stressful than I thought it would be.  I wonder if it would be easier to do booktalks for children's books? 

The thee books that I chose were:

 

Wicked Appetite:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvkgheOFlsE&feature=youtu.be

Blood Brothers:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlzDv3z3ITA

Wicked:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6g9D8bekWE